Is AliExpress Safe: 10 Ways to Avoid Replica Goods (The Real Person’s Guide To Buying From Aliexpress)

“Is AliExpress safe?” In this article, you will get the answer, methods to avoid falling victim of buying wholesale replica goods from AliExpressand some FAQ of shopping on Aliexpress.

Let’s learn more…

AliExpress is a part of Alibaba Group. It is a Chinese e-commerce company that focuses on offering a variety of retail services to consumers and retailers around the world. This online-only company sells products mainly Chinese products and from the site, you will find the best products to import from China.

Is AliExpress safe? These are the type of question that will be pondering over. Chinese products are always though to be cheap and of low quality. These are not the case China products manufacture also produce some of the best high-quality products which are sold on AliExpress.

Sometimes buying and dropshipping wholesale goods from e-commerce sites might seem so easy and reliable. This is true most of the time, but it doesn’t just go by without some constraints.  This constrains will cause you to lose your hard-earned money.

E-commerce websites sites such as AliExpress, Amazon, Alibaba, and eBay are full of 100% genuine authentic products but also, they are filled with replica goods.  Care and caution must be taken before buying the products.

When wholesaling and dropshipping products you are not able to feel or touch the product that you are purchasing. You will only be able to know if the product is genuine or a replica when it has been shipped to your doorstep.

Some suppliers are scammers and they tent to post and fill e-commerce website with replica products. Hence taking advantage of the customer. Some sites like AliExpress has a process that will prevent a buyer from falling victims to these scams.

Is AliExpress safe? These are the type of question that will be pondering over. Chinese products are always though to be cheap and of low quality. These are not the case China products manufacture also produce some of the best high-quality products which are sold on AliExpress.

Why Do AliExpress Products Have A Bad Reputation

The main reason AliExpress products carry such a bad rap is because of unrealistic expectations.

When you buy from a retail store in the United States, every product goes through a rigorous quality control process before the product is placed on the shelf.

With AliExpress, you are often buying directly from the factory and there is very little quality control (depending on the supplier). As a result, it can sometimes be a crap shoot what you’ll actually receive in the mail.

There is no recognizable brand and the standards of quality are often different from what you expect. Even worse, you might get sent counterfeit or knock off products in the mail:)

Incidentally, this is why AliExpress Dropshipping is not a good long term business model. The combination of quality control problems, long shipping times and customer support make this an unattractive business to run.

But that being said, there are many great products to be had on AliExpress. You just have to wade through the rough to find the diamonds:)

How To Buy From AliExpress Safely Without Getting Ripped Off

Here’s a step by step guide on how to make your first purchase from AliExpress and what to look out for.

First off, you need to create an account on AliExpress. Go to Aliexpress.com and click on the sign up button.

After you signup and confirm your email address, AliExpress will usually give you a bonus coupon for new users. I got $2 off which doesn’t sound like a lot but remember, stuff is cheap on the platform!

The next step is to go shopping. Shopping on AliExpress is a lot like shopping on Ebay. Just browse for what you want and click “Add To Cart”.

Now there are a few things I look for before I buy. Remember, anyone in China can sell on AliExpress which means that there are businesses, factories and random people peddling their wares.

I prefer to buy from sellers that have shipped many orders and look legit.

List of ways on ho wo avoid replica goods from Aliexpress

1. Look and work with suppliers who have been online for a long period

This is the easiest way to prevent into getting into any ‘funny business”.  suppliers with a trusted track record for being online are almost certainly not going to scam you. AliExpress and Alibaba have strict policies so, do you think a person who has been scamming people for more than even 1-year can still be on their site? No, they will be long gone and their details erased.

China is among the top 5 countries with the strictest law against criminals. This law is strictly enforced to lawbreaker. I don’t believe someone will be willing to risk to be in a wrangle with the state.

AliExpress allows you to see how long a supplier has been online. Since the items, you will be buying personally, then working with suppliers with more than 2 years’ experience is enough to safeguard you.

2. Avoid Suspicious payment methods

If you are thinking of dropshipping or buying goods from AliExpress suppliers, then stick to buying them via AliExpress checkout systems. If a supplier is providing an alternative payment method then do even try getting into the contract.

Some of the payment options such as Western Union is a big No. Why is there?  While records of the payout records are kept by western union these records can be only obtained through a court session. These will pose difficult to obtain.

However, as your business starts to grow then you can move to a different payment system, this system is usually known as CSV bulk dropshipping.  How does it work? You will have to download your orders from a Shopify store in a CSV format, then send that file to the specific dropshipper. They will then take the data and a fulfill all the orders off AliExpress.

3. Find a Reputable Seller

How do I find a reputable seller? This is quite simple and easy. This can be achieved by checking the number of customers who have been satisfied with the sellers’ products and services. This can be done by checking the seller’s feedback page.

For seller at AliExpress, you can just click the feedback tab where you can look at the seller’s history. From there each seller has a positive feedback percentage and also the feedback score. The Feedback score is obtained as a result of the sum of all the ratings, converted into points.

Feedback score is responsible for signaling the seller’s sale quantity. Always aim for those sellers with a positive feedback of 95%. Also, put into consideration the seller’s picture reviews. But don’t be naïve because a lot of sellers sometimes write themselves positive reviews. Be keen also to check on the negative reviews. There may be a lot of complaints about product quality.

4. Checking on the seller’s Guarantees

Guarantees are safeguards placed by the seller. The more the guarantees a seller offer the more the confidence you will have on the products and the services and products being provided. You will be comfortable to work a supplier who provides you with a safeguard that will protect you in the long run.

Let’s use an example such as Gucci belt AliExpress seller. The seller will offer you a guarantee on that one item. Make sure your do and extensive research on the seller before you commit, this is because he might not be providing guarantees on all the products in his catalog.

Types of guarantees that a seller can offer

· Returns and Refund – This is where the seller promises to offer a full refund if the product is not as described.

· On- Time delivery – The seller promises that a full refund will be provided if the purchase doesn’t arrive on the stipulated time.

· Domestic Returns – If the supplier has a warehouse in your country. You can return the product without incurring any customs fees and shipping costs.

· Genuity Guarantee – this is where the product you are purchasing is verified by AliExpress themselves.

5. Study the Hallmarks of the Original Product

You just don’t want to start buying or sourcing for products from AliExpress before having enough information about the product. Before shopping, please familiarize yourself with product’s appearance, brand markings, and any other unique details.

A genuine supplier will always post products that contain the manufacturer’s logo in specific places, like hardware detailing on a purse or on a tag inside different apparels. This way you will be able to distinguish a replica quickly, as soon it reaches your doorstep.

Replicas may use different materials such as low-quality material such as imitation leather or cheap hardware. Although these sometimes might be determined until you feel the product. You can check out the quality of the picture posted by the seller. Scammers are associated with low-quality product photos.

With these age of technology, sellers can just use photoshop technology to edit or steal a photo and make their product look authentic. Authentic have undistinguishable characters on it that prove the authenticity of the product.

6. Be a Smart shopper to avoid replica goods

With all the securities and policies that are put in place involving good sold. Sometimes you must take your own initiative to protect yourself. AliExpress offers you some helpful hints to make sure that you don’t fall victim of replica products from scammers and fraudsters. Some of these hints include:

· When a product price looks too good to be true don’t fall for it- You are probably right, taking, for example, an iPhone being sold at $20. You will be probably be buying an iPhone keyring instead.

· Never confirm a delivery without getting the order – never say that you have received a certain good if it isn’t in your possession and you have also completely checked it for problems.

· Be wary of discounts – If the third-party is selling the product at a less price than the established price, then the product might be a replica or fake.

FAQs of buying from Aliexpress

Q: Is AliExpress safe to buy?

Yes, it safe to buy from AliExpress. Most Chinese products have an unfair reputation for being cheap and of low quality. Most of the products sold on AliExpress are well made and are available for a fraction of the cost of what you would pay for an equivalent item in the shops.

Q: Does AliExpress have replica products?

Replicas are products that have nearly the same quality as the original. At AliExpress you will find replica products but the quality of there replicas is high and renowned. So, if you want to obtain a replica product from AliExpress then go ahead.

Here are 6 ways on how to avoid replica goods on AliExpress, when wholesale /dropship on AliExpress

·  Check product reviews

· Check product star rating

·  Check supplier feedback store

·  Create a test order

· Try to avoid trending products

Q: Dropship/ wholesale on AliExpress is profitable & How can I make money buying from AliExpress and selling them in my country?

When buying products from AliExpress to resale in your country it comes with the added advantage of making huge profits. This is because with AliExpress you will have a competitive advantage of being able to reach your customers before your competitors do.so it is very easy to make money with AliExpress.

How to achieve this:

· First, you need to choose a niche

· Then choose an appropriate product to sell

· Build a website for your product

· Offer competitive prices for your products

· Offer free shipping around the country

Q: Is it safe to buy from AliExpress, especially if you live in India? What is considered a good reputation for AliExpress?

With AliExpress India you are assured of delivery for your order on the specified date and if there are any delays, you will be fully refunded by AliExpress.

The role which the company plays is to connect you with a Chinese supplier. Once you have ordered your product and paid for it the payment is withheld till the product is delivered.

Good reputation on AliExpress is determined by the product quality and services offered by a seller. The reputation of the seller is determined by the number of positive reviews and ratings they get from their customers.

Q: How to find the best-selling products in AliExpress?

· You can find trends of products that are going viral.

· When you enter Aliexpress.com go to the site of weekly bestselling. This place contains a list of products that have been trending throughout the week.

Q: Is there any other reputable dropship/ wholesale website except AliExpress?

Yes, there are many good reputable dropshipping or wholesle websites, but I recommend Chinabrands.

Chinabrands is a leading wholesaler/ dropshipper, offering various range of products with wholesale price, including clothing, 3C products, toys, home decor, beauty, health, car part accessories etc.

Most of sellers or retailers complain that it’s  hard for them to find a right and potential products and it also cost them lots of times and capitals on it, although they know how to find.

Most people ask , are there any platforms offer hot-sale products or new arrivals from different e-commerce platforms, countries and districts?

Yes, Chinabrands is such a company. They invest lots of money on data analysis for choosing trendy products that will sell well and product quality control system. They will push the new trendy products and hot-sale products which is from different e-commerce platforms. What’s more, each product of Chinabrands needs to be inspected at least 3 times.

Differ from many manufactures, who inspect products randomly, Chinabrands offers 100% product inspection to make sure that each products meet quality standard.

Besides, they offer over 500,000 SKU including low-end and high-end products with wholesale price.

Moreover, for each purchase, you can get CB points, which you can use as cash in next purchase. Register as their member, you can get extra discounts, including more CB points, free shipping etc., which can maximize your profits for your dropship and wholesale business.

Are all you can get from Chinabrands? No, you also can get the following attractive services from them.

• Start your business with low/ zero risk & budgets

As we all know all business has its’ risk and need certain budgets. There is no  zero risk and budget business but you can start your business with low risk and budget. How you can do that? Chinabrands dropshipping programs allows you to staring business with low/ zero budget, which can also reduce risk for your business in capital, product inventory etc.

• SEO optimization save your times

Over 16 main e-commerce platforms can be interfaced by Chinabrands,such as eBay, Amazon, Lazada, Joom, Wadi etc. achieving automatically listing, sync order, inventory and send you product infringement message.

• 24 Hour delivery

All parcels in Chinabrands can be shipped out within 48 hours and reach worldwide customers within 48 hours.

• Excellent customers service in more than 10 languages

You can contact customers anytime , because they are working within 24 hours/ week.